Coal and water gas process



T. LlcHTENBr-:RGER 1,925,490 l COAL AND WATER GAS PROCESS Sept. 5, 1933.

Fild April 5. 1929 nev? Jsener er/ 2 //ZZMLQ/ Paented sept. 15, 1933 1,925,490

UNITED sTA-TEs PATENT OFFICEy COAL AND WATER GAS PROCESS Theodor Lichtenberger, Stuttgart, Germany Application April 5, 1929, Serial No. 352,878, and in Germany April 7, 1928 This invention relates to an improved methodv grate steam is supplied by a pipe m and also i and apparatus for the distilling of gas from and round about the circumference steampipes, confor the gasication of unground fuel. The invennected to an annular steam-conductor p may be tion consists in distilling and gasifying any unadded. The` lower part of the generator is in a ground fuel in a generator Without supply of air Water sealipan h for carrying out the ashes. The o by the radiating heat of a bath of molten salt. present generator differs from the known kind It has previously been proposed to direct a only in that any supply of air is strictly avoided. stream of steam mixed with coal dust over a bath About in half the height of the generator a broad of slag. annular space i is connected by two pipes k lc with l With'the present invention any generator withthe molten bath of the heating-medium. Ad-

out air supply is used, in which any unground coal Vantageously the molten salt enters through one can be employed. This generator has for instance 0f the pipes k, While it DaSSeS Off through the an annular tub, in which circulatesamolten bath Other pipe le PIOViSiOn alSO may be made t0 of salt, heated outside the gas generator. By carry out the passing in and Off through 011e i passing through the generator the fuel takes up Single pipe provided With a partitiOu Wall l- The '70 radiating heat of the sa1t fusion, so that a comannular space i takes up the molten salt and plete extraction and gasication .of the fuel is transfers by radiation the Whole heat in the C011- obtained. cave space above it, Wherefrom the heat is re- This process offers the advantage that with ileeted t0 the Dile 0f fuel 0 0- 2o absolute constancy a highly valuable gas, not in- The inevitable slag is carried away, as is well "75 jured by the addition of air is produced. MoreknOWIl, thrOugh the Water Seal pan h. This Carryover the improved method offers the advantage ing aWay 0f aSheS ia mOSt important, aS aCCOrdof security of working in as much as in the case ins t0 the present process, especially fuel 0f very of being Chilled the mon-,on Salt can be (1i-solved little value such as browncoal, lignite, oil shale by water without destroying the gas generator, which have very high contents of ashes and which Furthermore the use of .the molten Salt achitherto could not be subjected to a rational treatcording to the invention in consequence of the `meht and use 110W can be used fOr the DIOCluCtOh constancy of the melting point, and in conse- 0f a highly Valuable gas- AS t0 the temperature, quence 0f its'greai; heat of fusion 05ers special the molten salt, especially if sodium chloride isv 3o advantages for the Working process in as much as used is introduced to the generator at 900-1000 C., 85' it is possib1e to use up al1 the fuelv without any and passes ou at about 800 C. As the Capacity of residues or Waste. The possibility of working heat S Very great, large quantities 0f heat in this Without any air Supply facilitates an exceedingly Way can be transferred. It is not advisable to use compact arrangement of the spaces for distilling more than 1000 Cn as in the 11S@ 0f S0dium and gasifying Combined with the heating Space, chloride an evaporation and a loss of the molten 90 of which results an immensely high concentration Salt would Occur Instead 0f Sodium Chloride also 0f heat, chloride of barium or other molten salts can be The delivered heat is continually replaced by used, the circulation of the heating medium. AThe fuel It 1%" 0f Course: Well known that C031 Such as 4o tobemsed foryproducing gas is pom-ed in loosely bituminous coal when heated will more or less to form a high layer and will thereby be highly adhere together as 1s evident 1n the manufacture heated by the radiating heat of the smelting bath. of Coke- Thereforegit Wm be appare?t thfflt the The steam used for the gasification and the pro- Column of fuel o Wm' be Se1f*supp01`tmg 1n the duced watergas, support the translation of heat generator a' to the fuel as they are good heat-conductors. I Claim: i i 100 In the aooomiianying iimwing one omiooiiimeiii A process for dlstilling coal andgasifymg coke of the invention is shown in a vertical sectional hy injecting steam into the Ifuel in a singleopera- VioW through a gas genoraion tion, which consists 1n exposmg .the fuel 1n the .The generator a is provided with a heating form of a descendmg column 1n a water-gas chamber b provided with a double closure c d and generato? t9 the radlajtmg heat of a molten Salt 105 stirring holes f. bath which 1s soluble 1n water.

The outlet gas pipe is marked e. The genera- T HEODOR I-'ICHTENBERGER- tor has an ordinary rotary grate g which however is closed at the bottom, so that no fresh air can ,55 vper'letrate through the rotary grate. Below said 110 

